Learning to Fall
by NightOwl904
Summary: Charlie Tanaka is a distant teenage girl, who believes that she really doesn't need anyone. When she begins her first year of school at Ouran Academy, things couldn't have gone any worse. After ruining a certain twin's school uniform, her life is turned upside-down by a pair of devil eyes, and she begins to realize that maybe she does need someone close to her after all. OC/Hikaru
1. Introducing Me

My hand smacks down hard onto the table in front of me, squishing the life out of the bread dough, and making it much flatter than it needed to be. I press down both palms and begin to knead it vigorously. _I'm so stupid to think this wouldn't happen. Why does she always do this to us?_ Flipping over the dough, I smack at it again.

"Charlie! Not so hard! It will be completely flat when it comes out of the oven if you continue to knead it like that." Yakama says from the front counter. I stop and blow on my bangs that refuse to stay hidden behind my bandana.

"You know what? I'm taking my break." I huff and wipe my flour-filled hands on a towel. Sliding off my frilly apron, I toss it onto the hook on the wall and sit down at one of the vacant tables in the bakery.

"Hey now. Your sour mood is bringing the whole place down." Yakama walks over with a towel in her hands. Her light grey hair is put up in a tight bun, and the light blue apron she wears is covered in flour. The wrinkles on her face increase as she smiles sweetly. "Want to tell me why you are so upset?"

"Not really." I reply and rest my chin on my hand, looking away from her.

"Oh come on," She sits down across from me, "It will make you feel better if you let it out." I don't bother to look at her. She doesn't understand that talking about it will only make things worse for me. All I want to do is forget it. But how could you forget the fact that your own mother left again without any warning. No calls, no emails, and no letters even. She just plain out left. It's not like she hasn't done this before, though. I just haven't gotten used to it. I mean, she's my _mom_. She's the one who is supposed to take care of her kids.

Yakama stares at me for a moment, and then sighs.

"Well if you want to talk, just let me know." She says and walks back to the counter. I can tell she is disappointed in me. Yakama expects me to open up to her because she is practically the one who raised me. I started working at her little bakery at age seven, cleaning dishes and tables. From there, she taught me how to cook, bake, and even some proper table manners. _But it's not her job to worry about me. This is a family matter. It doesn't involve her. But still…I should be a little more considerate._ I sigh and get up from the table, putting my apron back on.

"Look Yakama, I'm sorry. It was just some school papers I had to fill out that was getting me stressed." I lie and give a fake smile. "Nothing major."

She looks up at me, "Oh well of course! You're moving to a new school tomorrow aren't you?"

"Yeah. I'm just really nervous for my first day." Yet another lie. "Ouran Academy is full of all rich people. It will be hard to fit in."

"Oh I'm sure you can do it. You passed the entry exams didn't you?" I nod my head and she continues. "Tell, you what. How about we both go home early tonight, and I'll come over and make some of yours and Ryo's favorite dumplings for a congratulations dinner!"

"That would be great!" I say. _Actually, I just wanted to go to bed early, but I see that's not a possibility anymore. Plus, Ryo would probably kill me if I turned down Yakama's dumplings._ The bell rings from the front counter and we both look over.

"Well, back to work." She says.

"I can get this customer." I tell her and slap on my most convincing smile for the rest of the afternoon.

* * *

My apartment is only a few blocks away from the bakery, which is nice because then my brother doesn't have to drive me there on the weekends, like he does for school. The sun is just starting to set when I reach the worn-down door of my home. Walking in, I find my 20-year-old brother passed out on the couch after a long day at work. His job provides our family with the most money, since mom doesn't do anything for us really. The rent isn't very high, so we manage to make it through all right.

I walk over to the snoring body and nudge his hand with my foot.

"Hey, wake up." His snoring stops abruptly and his eyes begin to open slowly.

"Hmm?" Ryo scratches the back of his head, ruffling his mound of short brown hair. "You're home early."

"Yakama is coming over soon to make dumpling. So get some better clothes on."

"Whoa wait a minute." He says, "_You_ invited Yakama over? This is definitely a first. I'm usually the one who has to invite her."

"Well, after telling her about my school transfer, she kinda invited herself." I look around the messy living room that's full of pizza boxes and dirty clothes piles. "Guess we better clean up, huh?"

"We? There is no "we_"_. This is all of _your_ crap on the floor. You pick it up." He gives me a playful shove in the arm.

"No way! That's your smelly sock over there! I'm not touching that!" Ryo bends down and snatches it off the ground. I let out a small shriek as he throws it to my face.

"Hey!" He laughs and I pick one up and throw it at him. A small giggle escapes my lips. Only Ryo can bring out a smile from me, even if it is only a fake smile. We pick up all of the stuff on our floor, and make the house look a little more presentable. Ryo even helped me wash the dishes, even though he claims that it's a woman's job. I always smack him for saying that. A few busy hours later, the doorbell chimes through our house and Yakama enters with a large bag full of dumplings. Ryo helps her with the food and sets it onto the counter.

"Charlie, could you get out some plates for me please." Yakama asks as she unloads the bag's contents. I set the plates down next to her and she dishes it all up. Soon our plates are piled high with green beans and spicy dumplings. We all take a seat at the table when Yakama raises her glass of water.

"To Charlie! For getting into one of the most competitive schools in the world!" She says, triumphantly.

"I drink to that!" My brother adds and clinks glasses with her. I take my glass and raise it a little, smiling sheepishly. It's really not that big to celebrate.

We eat in almost silence, except when Yakama asks about the most random things, like Ryo's job and what other foods we like to eat. Ryo keeps looking over at me, since I'm not saying much in any of the conversations, but I just give him a quick smile, making him believe that I'm fine.

"So where's your mother Charlie? Out at work? I'd really like to meet her sometime." Yakama asks. My chopsticks stop inches from my lips and I lower them slowly. Anger slowly boils within me, but I push it back down. _No need to get mad at her. She doesn't know. _Looking up, I give a some-what sweet smile.

"Oh, she's out on a trip." I reply.

"Charlie?" I look over to my brother. "You don't have to act happy for us. I know you are upset." Looking away, my hands clench into fists in my lap.

"I'm not upset."

"Don't lie. I know you are."

"We aren't talking about this." I say with a hint of annoyance. Tears sting at the back of my eyes and I grind my teeth.

"Charlie…"

"I'm not hungry anymore." I get up from the table abruptly and walk to my room, slamming the door behind me. My back slumps against the hard wood, and I slide down until my butt hits the floor. Hugging my legs, I rest my chin on the top of my knees in my dark room. _How dare he say that? That is a _family_ issue. Yakama doesn't need to know anything._

"Is she alright?" Yakama's soft voice drifts through the door.

"Yeah. She always gets this way when our mom leaves. Our mom isn't the best woman to be raising kids, but Charlie seems to love her a lot. Mom is still broken over when Dad left us 15 years ago, so she is always leaving on trips to different places around the world. God knows where she even gets the money for that."

"And it doesn't bother you when she leaves?" There is a short pause before my brother answers.

"No, it does. But I worry more about Charlie than I do our mom. She's not fit to be a mother in my eyes, abandoning her children like this, and I'm almost glade that she leaves. But Charlie gets so upset." I can almost here him sigh, "I wish she would just talk to me, or anyone for that matter. It's not good to hold things inside. She never had many friends, and I'm usually gone until later on the weekdays. She's always alone, and I'm worried for her well being."

"Hopefully she will make a few friends at this new school. There will be plenty of new faces to meet."

"That's what I'm hoping. Charlie needs to get out more and enjoy life before it's too late and she has to grow up. That's why instead of moving to collage, I came home and started to help support her. I grew up fast, so she doesn't have to." After that last line, my face becomes wet with fresh tears and I wipe them away quickly. _Don't cry._ I tell myself, and push away from the door. I can't listen to anymore of this. _Make friends? I don't need any friends. No one has ever tried to talk to me, so why even try? And I never asked him to come home. I was just fine on my own. All I want to do is grow up and leave._

"I'm so ready to be out of here." I plop down onto my bed, arms folded behind my head. "Tomorrow will be a new day." I say and yawn, "New school, new classes, and new people to ignore."

* * *

"_I run and run a thousand miles, and I am barely breathing…"_ The alarm clock on my nightstand begins to blare and flash the numbers 7:00 in bright green. Turning over to my side, I groan and hunt for the noisy box with my hand.

"I'm not ready to get up yet." I grumble and slam the snooze button with my fist. Moments after my room gets silent, the door flies open and slams against the wall.

"Oh no you don't." Ryo says, walking over to my bed. "You had plenty of time to sleep after your little fit last night. Now get up!" He reaches down and rips the covers off me. I glare up at him from my pillow.

"Don't give me that look Charlie. Time to start the day."

"Ok, _Mom_. I'm getting up." Stretching my way into a sitting position, I wait for Ryo to yell at me again. When he doesn't, I look up to him. His face is hard to read in the darkness of my room, but I can tell that he is upset by my comment.

"Hey, look I'm sorry. It was a joke." I tell him.

"Just get ready for school." He says flatly and walks out, closing the door behind him.

I begin to dig through a pile of clothes in my closet, looking for anything that looks remotely clean. _Note to self: Clean up room. It looks like a pigsty._ I know I probably never will clean my room. To be honest, I can find stuff much easier when it's messy. Finally, I settle for a pair of blue skinny jeans and my favorite baggy sweatshirt.

When I open the door to my room, Ryo is sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee. Avoiding his eyes, I dash into the bathroom. I brush out my long, tangled brown hair until it hangs straight down my back, stopping a few inches below my shoulders. Looking into the mirror, I stare at my pair of eyes. One shows green; the other is a light brown. The green one is from my mom, and my brother tells me that Dad had brown eyes. Though, I've never seen any pictures of him, or even met him. Ryo's always saying that it makes me special, but all I feel like is a freak. Maybe _that's_ why no one talks to me. Who wants to be friends with a girl who has different colored eyes? It's all about how you look these days.

Taking one last look over myself, I walk out the door and over to the fridge. My eyes scan its contents as I decide what to pact for lunch today. A small container of shrimp catches my eye and I pull it out.

"You think this shrimp is still good?" I ask Ryo, who continues to drink his coffee. When he doesn't answer, I shrug my shoulders and pack it in my bag. _He must still be upset with me._ Grabbing my school bag, I sling it over my shoulder. "I'm ready to go."

He takes his time getting up from the table and rinsing out his mug. Then he walks over slowly to get his coat and goes out the door without a word.

The car ride was long and a little awkward. Ryo didn't say anything to me, or even acknowledge that I was even there. It wasn't until we pulled in front of the great Ouran Academy when he finally spoke.

"Good luck on your first day." He says in a monotone. The doors unlock, but I don't move._ Maybe I should apologize again._

"I'm sorry." I say again, "You're nothing close to mom, and I was out of line to say that."

"Thank you." He says and adds a smile. Pulling open the door, I step out onto the sidewalk.

"You're such a baby." He raises his eyebrows.

"Watch it, missy."

"What are you going to do? Ground me?" I taunt.

"You know I wouldn't." He laughs. "Have a good day." I close the door and he drives away, leaving me in front of the richest schools around. _How did I even get into a place like this?_ The building was huge. Probably three times as big as my other school. I'll get lost in here for sure.

Taking a deep breath, I step through the large golden gates, and into the world of the super rich and beautiful.


	2. One Little Accident

"Is that her?"

"Can't you tell? She's not wearing the school uniform."

"I heard that she couldn't afford it."

"How did a commoner like _her_ get into Ouran?"

Their whispers fill the air as I walk down the exquisite marble hallways of Ouran Academy. My first day was going just about as bad as I expected. The only attention I got from anyone was rude looks when I walked by. No one in my class wanted to sit near me, which is perfectly fine I guess. They all look like rich snobs if you ask me. But couldn't they at least _try_ to whisper quietly? I mean I can clearly hear everything they are saying. Maybe that's the whole point.

It's finally the end of the day, and all I have to do is make it for another hour in this school before Ryo picks me up from his work. I decide to do a little exploring around the marvelous building. There isn't much to see besides the hallways, though. All of the after-school clubs are occupying most of the rooms, so I can't go in any of them.

A pain shoots through my stomach and I wince. _I hope that shrimp I ate for lunch wasn't spoiled._ I stop walking for a moment as a wave of nausea washes over me. _Maybe I should find a bathroom, but I've never been on this part of the building._ There is a door to my left side marked _Music Room 3_. I shrug my shoulders and go over to it. _Hopefully there's someone inside who knows this place._ Grasping the cool handle, I open the door slowly; only to be greeted by bunches of rose pedals and a chorus of voices.

"Welcome." They say together. Seven figures stand together in the middle of the abandoned room, with one sitting on a chair. The boy rises and glides over to me, blond hair flowing. His hand lifts my chin so that I look into his eyes.

"Hello, my lovely princess, and welcome to the Ouran Host Club. We have been waiting for you." He whispers and holds out a rose. I look at him, stunned. _This is definitely not what I expected to find._ I pull away from him slightly.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just looking for-"

"A different host?" He cuts me off mid sentence. "Of course! Just tell me what type of boy you are into!" A _host_?

"No, that's not what I meant at all." I say and start backing away. A hand from behind me grabs my shoulder and I jump.

"Hang on a second." I voice says from my left.

"Aren't you in our class?" Another, almost identical voice says from my right. The two step out from behind me and reveal that they are twins. They look exactly alike with their golden eyes and auburn hair. I know for a fact that they are in my class, but another wave of nausea hits me before I say my answer. One of the twins with the deeper voice leans in close to me, putting his face inches from mine. My palms begin to sweat and I gag slightly. _This isn't good. I really need to find a bathroom._

The boy cocks his eyebrow, "You don't look so good. Are you okay?"

That's when I lose it.

My lunch.

All over that rich twin's blue uniform.

The entire club is silent, too stunned to move. The boy looks down at his shirt with a mix of shock and disgust as the chewed up shrimp drips down onto the floor. My legs react faster than my mind, and I'm out of the room in an instant. I hear a voice calling me to wait, but I don't. Somehow, I find the bathroom further down the hall before any more food comes up again. I sit over the toilet for probably a minute before my stomach begins to feel any better.

"That's the last time I eat seafood." I mumble miserably, slumping down next to the toilet and resting my head against the wall. A horrible taste stings at the back of my throat and I moan quietly.

"Charlotte?" My name echoes through the bathroom and a figure walks over to the stall I'm in. I look up to see the face of one of the boys in the club. His hand holds a glass of water, and his brown eyes look down at me with worry.

"Are you alright?" He asks. "I brought you some water."

"Oh, you didn't have to do that." I tell him.

"Well sure I did." He smiles and hands me the glass. "You just threw up."

"Thanks." I say and chug down the water, along with the disgusting taste between my teeth. The boy sits down beside me, completely unaffected by the fact that I might hurl again at any moment. I look over to him in question. _He's not like the rest of the guys at this school. There's something very different about him…_

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He asks and my eyes widen. _Oh…that's it._

"You're a girl." I point out to no one in particular. She looks shocked for a moment, and then smiles.

"Wow that was fast. Guess there's no fooling you." She says, "My name is Haruhi, by the way."

"Nice to meet you…wait, why are you dressed as a dude?" I ask her.

"It's kind of a long story, but I owe the Host Club money, so I have to act as a host to pay them back." She replies sheepishly.

"Oh," I take another sip of the water. _That kind of sucks._ "And I have another question. How did you know my name?"

"Well that's easy. You're in the same class as me and the twins aren't you? I noticed that your name was called during attendance today in homeroom. How come you sat all by yourself?"

"I uh…didn't really know anyone so…I just…" My voice trails off.

"Well if you want, I can sit next to you tomorrow."

"Why?" _I'm nothing special. I'm not even that entertaining_.

She looks at me, confused. "Why not? You seem nice enough." I bring my knees up to my chest and rest my chin on them.

"Thank you, for being so nice to me. All of these rich people here are really snobby. No offense to you…"

"Oh I'm not rich." Haruhi says, "The club just gave me this uniform to fit in better. I just live in a regular old apartment. Nothing rich or fancy about me."

"Same here." It grows silent for a moment in the bathroom, and then Haruhi rises to her feet.

"I better get back. They're probably all wondering where I went. You coming?"

"Yeah." I get up off the floor and straighten out my shirt. "I think that all of my lunch has made is successfully down the toilet. Plus I dropped my bag in the music room."

We both make our way back down the hall, Haruhi leading the way.

"Uh, can I use you as a human shield?" I ask sheepishly, before she can open the door. Haruhi laughs and turns to me.

"Hikaru shouldn't be _that_ mad at you. Don't worry. You'll be fine." She opens the door and is instantly tackled by Tamaki in a death grip.

"Oh Haruhi where did you go? I was so worried about you! Don't ever disappear like that again." He says in a dramatic tone.

"Senpai! Put me down!" Haruhi yells and he sets her to her feet. "I went to go help Charlotte in the bathroom because you idiots were too dumbstruck to move."

"So this lovely princess's name is Charlotte?" His tone of voice changes and he glides over to me with great interest.

"I prefer Charlie, actually." I say quietly.

"Charlie? That is simply not feminine enough for such a beautiful girl." He coos in my ear. _What's with this guy? He's kind of creeping me out._

"Senpai, she's not here as a guest. She just came to get her bag."

"Oh, you mean this?" The twins pop into my field of vision, holding up my book bag. One of them stands shirtless, and I assume he's the one my lunch landed on. _What did Haruhi say his name was? Hikaru?_ Their lips twist into evil smiles, and Tamaki points a finger at them.

"Unhand her bag at once!" He commands.

"Oh but boss," Hikaru replies, "She ruined my uniform. Surely there's something she can do to repay me."

"I believe a penalty is in order." The other twin agrees.

"Come on guys, it was an accident." Haruhi says.

"Wasn't it _also_ an accident when you broke that vase? You had to pay us back for that." Haruhi hangs her head in defeat and the twins high five each other. _So _that's_ why Haruhi owes them._

"I must say, I do have to agree with the twins on this one." States a tall boy with dark hair and glasses. "The price for a new uniform is nothing to laugh about." He writes something down in a book he is holding.

"See? Even Kyoya agrees with us."

"So," The twins walk over to me, "What will we have you do, commoner?" They both stare at me with such intensity that it makes me uncomfortable.

"If you must punish her, can it at least wait until tomorrow?" Tamaki asks, "Our precious guest will be arriving at any moment and we must be ready to entertain them!"

"Fine by me." Hikaru smirks, "It will give us time to think of a punishment." His voice is filled to the top with mischief, which makes me shiver. The other twin holds out my bag and I take it. _Forget Tamaki, _those_ two are creepy._

"Sorry, again." I say and head for the door.

"See you in homeroom, commoner!" Their voices are perfectly in sync. _Oh no. I forgot that they're in my class._ I groan and shut the door behind me, resting against it. _Tomorrow is going to be a _very_ long day._


	3. Brand New Toy

I get to homeroom before schedule today because Ryo had to go to work early. It's a little creepy to be here this early since everyone else is probably still getting ready at their excessively large houses. Every single noise I make bounces off the walls and through the empty classrooms. Even pulling out a chair at one of the desks echoes around me. Sitting down as quietly as I can, I pull out a book from my bag and begin to read. It's not long before I am engulfed in my own little world of literature, and other students begin to file in.

"Good morning Charlie." I'm snapped back to reality in an instant. I look up to see Haruhi smiling down at me. "Mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all." I say and she takes the chair to my right. Behind her, I see the twins enter the room and I quickly look away, hiding my face with a curtain of hair.

"Hello Haruhi." I hear one say. _Please don't notice me. Please don't notice me. Please don't-_

"Good morning, commoner." The other says and I jump in my seat. _Damn it._

"Oh hey." I say through my teeth and turn to face them.

"You honestly thought you could get away from us?" I squeak as the other whispers in my ear. They both look at each other, snickering and I glare at them.

"So um, Haruhi," I whisper, "Which one is who?"

"Hikaru is on the right. He's the one you puked on. And Kaoru is on the left." She answers. _Oh, the other one's name is Kaoru._ _They're hard to tell apart even with their hair going in different directions._

"And we still haven't forgotten about your little accident yesterday." Hikaru chimes. "Don't think that you're going to go unpunished."

"We spent all night thinking about it." Kaoru adds.

"What do I have to do?" Their faces twist into wicked grins. _Oh god._

"We decided that we aren't going to tell you yet." The twins say together, "We'll just let you worry about it for the rest of the day."

"Wait, let me guess. The real punishment will be me worrying about it right? And there actually won't be a punishment. I'd just torture myself."

"Nope! Although that _is_ something we would do." Hikaru says, leaning an elbow on his brother.

"We _do_ have something planned. But we wanted to make you suffer for a little bit first!"

"Well thanks." I mutter under my breath.

"You're welcome!"

The two doppelgangers continued to follow me around all day, and the teachers seemed to love putting me right in between them in class. They kept teasing me about the stupidest things. One would correct me on all of my spelling errors, which there were a lot because I suck at spelling. Another would make me second-guess myself on an answer to a problem.

"Are you sure about that?" Hikaru leans over and points to the chemistry problem I've been working on for probably 20 minutes. I look it over one more time and nod.

"Yeah, everything looks right, doesn't it?" He shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know. _Does_ it?"

They were even near me during lunchtime. Luckily, Haruhi sat next to me first so the two ate lunch across from me. But that didn't stop them from criticizing my entire meal.

"Sushi for lunch? Don't you have anything better?"

"That's not going to make you throw up again, is it?"

It is very clear to say that I was completely annoyed with them. English had to be the worst class all day.

_Where is it?_ I dig through my bag that sits in the floor. Grunting in frustration, I pick up the bag, and flat out dump everything onto the desk in front of me.

"What'cha looking for?" Kaoru asks.

"My notebook."

"Does this notebook happen to be dark blue?"

"Yeah, why?" The twins look at each other and raise their eyebrows.

"No reason." Hikaru states.

"Please tell me that you didn't take it from my bag." Anger starts to rise in my voice.

"Are you accusing us of stealing?" They ask as one.

"It wouldn't be accusing if you actually did it."

"Relax commoner. We didn't steal it. You forgot it in the club room after you left yesterday." Kaoru informs me.

"Then why didn't you bring it with you to give to me?" I growl at them.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kaoru says.

"We needed an excuse for you to come by the Host Club after school." Hikaru finishes and grins with amusement.

* * *

"Damn those twins." I quickly walk down the hallway, my feet slapping against the tile. "I'll make it quick. Get in, get out. No talking." All I need to do is grab my notebook out of the music room and then I can go home.

"Ugh. They're probably waiting for me." I groan when I reach the door. My hand grasps the handle, which is much colder than I remember it being. _What should I expect this time? More roses?_ Sighing, I fling open the door and step inside.

"Look guys, I'm not here to be a guest or anything. I'm just here for my- WHOA!" My feet slip out from underneath me and I fall down hard on my butt. The floor is as cold as ice…no wait. The floor _is_ ice. "What the…?"

The floor of the room is completely covered in frozen water, and the walls have hints of frost on them. There are tables in the far corner where the hosts are serving hot chocolate to the mingling ladies. Tamaki, however, skates around in the middle, preforming tricks and smiling at the fawning girls. _You've got to be kidding me. What kind of club is this?_ Two arms scoop me up from behind and slide me along with them.

"We knew you couldn't stay away for long." A voice teases in my ear. "We're just too irresistible aren't we?" I instantly recognize the voice as Hikaru.

"Not even close. I just came to get my notebook. So let go of me!" I yell as I struggle against their arms.

"No way." Kaoru says from the right. "Once you stepped through those doors, you were labeled as a guest."

"And we have to make every guest happy."

"I'd be a lot happier if you let go of me." I glare at Hikaru, "And is this part of my punishment?"

"Sort of." Their lips curl into evil smiles simultaneously, which freaks me out.

"But before we get to business…" They abruptly stop skating, causing me to slip again. But this time, their arms catch me and hold me steady.

"Geez, you're so clumsy." Hikaru comments.

"Well we _are_ on ice." I grumble. Kaoru skates out in front of us with his hand on his chin, looking me over.

"Your outfit isn't going to cut it." Kaoru points to me.

"Huh?" Hikaru lets go of my arms and the two skate off quickly, and arriving back before I had any time to lose my balance. They stuff me into a light pink pea coat, an off-white scarf, and matching pair of gloves.

"What do you think?" Kaoru asks with a pleased look on his face. _I _think_ that I feel completely violated._

"I just wish it wasn't pink." I complain, tugging on the bottom of the coat.

"Are you cold at all?"

"Well, no not re-"

"Good!" They cut me off, "Let's go get some hot chocolate!" The twins' arms go around me once more, and they drag me off towards the tables, sitting me down at one that seats three people.

"We'll be right back!" Sighing, I rest my head on my hand. _If I only had skates on…then I could make it to the door before they returned. Maybe that's why they didn't put any on me…_ My eyes wander around the room and I notice a few evil eyes coming from the girls around me. _What's their deal?_ I shift in my seat uncomfortably, noticing the cushion underneath me for the first time. Heat from it rises through my jeans, toasting my butt cheeks.

"Why is the seat so warm?" I ask out loud.

"We filled them with hand warmers!" A small voice says. I look to see a blond boy, who appeared to be no older than an elementary school kid, smiling up at me.

"I'm Honey and this is Usa-chan!" He holds up a pink stuffed bunny, and then points to the tall boy standing behind him. "And this is Takashi!"

"Call me Mori." He says in a deep voice.

"Do you want to have some cake with me, Charlie?" He tugs on my arm and gives me the cutest smile I've ever seen. _How can I resist a face like that?_

"Well, ok." _At least I'll be away from the twins._

"Hey, butt out Honey-senpai!" Hikaru pushes him out of the way.

"Yeah," Kaoru says, setting a tray of hot chocolate on the table, "The commoner is _our_ toy." Honey's eyes weld up with tears and he runs to Mori, who carries him away.

"Whoa, I am _not_ your toy." I say with anger, "Nor am I anyone's for that matter."

"But of course you are!" Hikaru slings an arm around my neck. "We've decided that for your punishment, you have to be our toy for the year!"

"You could call it a _personal host_, if you want to sound fancy." Kaoru adds. "But you have to come in after school and entertain us, while _we_ entertain the ladies."

"No way." I tell them and shake my head, "No way am I doing that."

"But you have to pay us back somehow."

"You could always be like Haruhi and dress like a guy. Your chest is certainly flat enough." Hikaru points out. Blood rushes to my cheeks as I cross my hands over my chest protectively and pout.

"So, what's it gonna be?" They ask. _Being their toy, I would have to hang around those two all day, and that's something I definitely don't want to do. But none of the girls seem to like me now, so they probably won't like me as a boy either. I'm not really good at entertaining people._

"Fine. I'll be your stupid personal host." I grumble. They pump their fists into the air and smile victoriously. I roll my eyes. "But on one condition."

"What is it?"

"You have to stop calling me _commoner_. I prefer my real name."

"Fine by me, Charlie." Hikaru says.

"But I'm starting tomorrow. Right now, I just want my notebook if you'd be so kind." I say and hold out my hand impatiently. Kaoru takes out the book from behind his back and places it in my palm.

"Finally." I groan and rip off my coat and accessories. "I'm out of here." Shuffling my feet, I make it over to the door with only slipping a few times. _I still don't know how they even froze the floor here in the first place._

"We can't wait for your entertainment tomorrow!" Kaoru calls out with a naughty tone.

"We're going to have so much fun together!" Hikaru matches his brother's voice. I cringe as I walk out the door, thinking about what their type of "fun" is. _I wish I didn't have to find out._


	4. For Your Entertainment

"You're here early." Hikaru says when I walk through the door. The room is completely empty with no chairs and tables. There isn't even a trace of ice from yesterday's skating rink. _I thought they were supposed to be doing a casino theme today. Don't tell me that I have to help them set up. This is only my first day. Don't I get a break?_

"You told me to come at this time, so I did." My eyes notice a twin is absent. "Where's Kaoru? I'm entertaining the both of you aren't I?"

"Oh he's just in the bathroom. He'll be back in a minute."

"So why did you make me come here this early?" I ask, shifting my weight to the other leg. A grin spreads across his face and he pulls out a brown paper bag.

"We both want you to wear _this_ today!" Hikaru holds it out to me. Peering inside, I see a crisp white shirt and black pants. There are a few other items underneath that I can't make out, but it looks to me like something a guy would wear.

"So you want me to dress like a boy? That's basically what Haruhi is doing."

"You can keep your hair down and everything, but we just didn't want you sticking out any more than you already do."

"What's that suppose to mean?" I ask, slightly offended.

"Oh come on. You're in the richest school around and all you wear everyday is _that_." He gestures towards my outfit and I look down at myself in question. _I don't see what's wrong with wearing skinny jeans and sweaters all the time._ "Couldn't you at least try to be more formal?"

"Well _excuse_ _me_ if I can't afford one of those ugly yellow uniforms."

"If you're going to be me and Kaoru's host, you have to make yourself a little more presentable." He puts a hand behind my back and leads me over to another door in the room. "You can change in here. Be sure not to throw up on it." He teases.

"Do I have to wear this?" I whine.

"Yes. Would you like me to help you change?"

"Dream on." I say and close the door behind me. _What a creep._

The room is small with a low ceiling and is sectioned off into four different spaces. Each has its own yellow curtain covering it. I choose the one on the far right and drop the bag on the floor, spilling out its contents. Changing into the outfit, I put my long hair up into a ponytail and step back to look in the mirror that rests against the wall. A black bow tie and a matching vest accompany the white shirt I wear and I have long black pants and shoes on the bottom. It looks as if I am a card dealer straight from Vegas.

"Well, here goes nothing. I still have no idea on how I'm suppose to entertain them." I open the door and walk out of the room. My eyes widen as my jaw almost drops to the floor. The club is now in full swing with the lights slightly dimed. The floor is covered with slot machines and card tables. Girls sit around them with their favorite hosts who are serving and providing poker chips. There is soft music being played, but I'm not sure where it's coming from. _I was only in this room for like, five minutes. How the hell did they set this up so fast?_

"I don't think these people are human." My eyes scan the sea of people until I spot the twins in the far corner. I keep my head down walking over so I don't see any stares from the guests. Kaoru smiles at me when I near the table and nudges Hikaru, who is talking to one of the girls seated in front of them. His eyes flicker up to me, and there is a hint of blush on his cheeks just before he smiles.

"Wow commoner, you look great!" He says.

"I told you to call me Charlie."

"But Charlie to so…._American_."

"Yeah, well my Dad is American." I say. _Or was. Not really sure if he's even still alive or not._

"Hey Charlie, have you ever played Black Jack?" Kaoru cuts in, shuffling a stack of cards.

"No, not really." The only card games that I've played were Go Fish and Uno. Ryo always ends up beating me whenever I play him.

"Well then, have a seat." Hikaru pulls out a chair for me.

"But I thought _I_ was suppose to entertain _you_. Not the other way around." I protest.

"Oh come on, it will be fun!" They say. I hesitate for a moment, then shrug my shoulders and sit. If playing a simple card game is all it takes to entertain them, then this will be easier than I thought.

"Hikaru, what did she mean by 'entertain you'?" A girl with short black hair asks.

"This little commoner ruined my school uniform a few days ago." He says, "So to pay me back, she has to be me and Kaoru's personal host for the year!"

"How did she ruin your uniform?" Another asks. I shrink down into my seat a little, waiting for the twins to explain my accident in the fullest of detail.

"Oh she just spilled her lunch on it." Hikaru shrugs, "Nothing worth fussing over." My eyes look at him, stunned. _I thought he would have gotten a kick out of telling everyone._ Kaoru snickers in the background, and I assume that he thought the same thing.

"Shall we play?" Hikaru changes the subject.

"You can sit this one out and teach Charlie, Hikaru." Instantly, Hikaru's arms were around Kaoru and pulled him close, their faces inches apart.

"But I wanted to spend the whole day by your side, Kaoru. I won't ever leave you." Hikaru's tone has changed completely.

"Oh Hikaru, your embarrassing me." The girls next to me sigh and I could almost see the hearts flying off of them. I try to suppress a laugh. _What's wrong with the girls at this school?_ Looking back up at the twins, I see that they're still staring deeply into each other's eyes. I can't hold it back any longer, and I burst out laughing. My voice fills the air around us, and a few girls from other tables glance over to see what happened.

"What?" Hikaru spats as I wipe a tear from my eye.

"I'm sorry," I snort, "It's just, what the hell was _that_?"

"It's called _brotherly love_." The girl with black hair sneers, "Something you obviously don't respect."

"Brotherly love? That was _not_ brotherly love. I don't even know how to describe what I just saw!" I start laughing again and clutch my stomach, which has started to hurt. Hikaru scowls and breaks away from Kaoru. Grabbing my arm, he pulls me out of my chair and tows me away from the table. When we are out of earshot from any of the other guests, he stops and turns to face me.

"What are you doing?" He asks.

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes, you did! You weren't supposed to find that funny. Let alone laugh at us."

"Well, _excuse me_ for not fawning over you like those other girls." I cross my arms and look away. "I mean, what was up with that whole act?"

"It's just what we do." Hikaru say, clearly getting irritated by my attitude. "Me and Kaoru preform for our guests as twins with homosexual feelings for each other. The ladies seem to love it." He gives a deep sigh, and then looks at my completely wigged out out expression. "What?"

"That is so weird and disturbing."

"It's not disturbing!" He yells, "It's irresistible!"

"Pft. Whatever you say."

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me. I'm just not like those other girls." Hikaru rolled his eyes.

"Clearly. But I still want you to apologize to them."

"Why would I?" I glare at him.

"Just do it!" He pushes me back over to the table where Kaoru is waiting. The three girls look up at me with hatred burning in their eyes. When I don't say anything, Hikaru bumps me with his elbow.

"I-I'm sorry that I laughed." I say the nicest way I can, "It was very rude of me to."

"Oh it's no big deal." One of them says, still glaring at me.

"Yeah, I'm sure a commoner like you just doesn't understand how this school works." Another replies with a fake smile. I know she said that to offend me in any way possible.

"So ladies," Kaoru smiles and holds out the deck of cards like a fan. "Shall I preform a magic trick for you?" The girls squeal with delight and applaud. I sit back in the chair and observe Kaoru. _He seemed to be pretty calm when I was laughing. I wonder what set Hikaru off._ I smile to myself. _Maybe he just wasn't used to having a girl laugh at him like that. Looks like round one goes to me._

The afternoon drags on with multiple rounds of Black Jack. All of them I lost, by the way. I think the twins shuffled the deck so that I would purposely lose, and the other girls seemed to get a kick out of that. Hikaru was still mad at me, but then he started to lighten up and laugh along with me when Kaoru picked the wrong card in one of his little "magic tricks". Whenever they had their _brother love_ session, I had to swallow down my laugh and suffer through it. But I must admit, it's better than staying home all afternoon and doing nothing. I just hope I can make it through the whole year with these two.


	5. Not So Refreshing

I wake to the sound of my cell phone ringing on my desk from across the room. Groaning, I turn over to my side and watch the screen flash lights against the wall beside it. _I'll just let it go to voice mail. Don't people know that it's Saturday?_ I'm completely exhausted from hanging around Hikaru and Kaoru all week. They had me in and out of all kinds of outfits everyday, and if I dare said anything, they promised to embarrass me in front of the whole school. So I kept my mouth shut as they dressed me in whatever they pleased, which were unusually frilly outfits that I would never even dream of wearing. Finally it's the weekend, and I can rest with ease.

The ringing of my phone stops for a moment, and then starts back up again; replaying the same Japanese pop song I set it to. _Who ever is trying to reach me must really want to talk._ I crawl out from underneath my covers and stretch, popping my knees and curling my toes until they crack. My feet stumble over to the desk where the vibrating phone is placed. Flipping it open, I hold it to my ear.

"Hello?" My voice sounds dry, and came out a little harshly. But that's what they get for waking me up before noon on the weekend.

"Sleeping in, are we commoner? That might call for a penalty."

"Hikaru? How did you get my number?" I ask. _It's way to early to deal with them._

"Let's just say we got it from a _special_ source." Kaoru's voice fills my ear and they both snicker. I roll my eyes.

"What do you guys want with me? It's Saturday." I yawn and stretch my free arm. "I think that I should get to relax for a few days."

"Exactly. Which is why we want you…" Hikaru starts.

"…to come with the host club to the beach today!" Kaoru finishes.

"The beach? Wait a minute. Does this mean that I have to keep you two entertained?" The door to my room opens with a creek and my brother steps in with a sleepy expression.

"What's going on?" He asks, rubbing one of his eyes. I cover the mic with my hand and turn to him.

"Some friends of mine want me to go to the beach with them today." I say flatly. Suddenly, his face is more awake and his eyes widen.

"Friends?" He cocks his head to the side.

"Well, I guess they're really not my fr-"

"Of course you can go!" He runs over and hugs me. "I can't believe it! You finally made friends! It's already been a week and your going to a beach with them!"

"Ryo. You're hurting me." I say and more snickering comes from the phone that's pressed against my ear.

"Well then it's settled." Hikaru says, "We'll pick you up in ten minutes!"

"Wait! I never said that…" But the line was already dead. _How do they know my address? Do they just spend time researching people?_ Ryo releases me, and takes a few steps back. "What was that? I didn't say that I wanted to go."

"Why wouldn't you go?" He asks me, confused.

"I'm tired from this week and I have to get up early and work all day at the bakery tomorrow. I just wanted a day to relax!"

"Which is why a day at the beach with your friends would be perfect!"

"You don't get it." I groan. _How can I convince him to let me stay?_ "My swimsuit doesn't even fit me."

"You can borrow one of mom's old ones. Follow me." He walks out the door and down the hall. We stop in front of mom's room. His hand hesitates over the handle, as if he is rethinking his decision. But he grabs and opens the door, swinging it so that it hits the doorstop. A wall of perfume hits me and I cover my nose with my pajama shirt. The bed lays unmade, with the covers thrown to the side and pieces of clothes are spread all over the floor. _Well now I know where I got my messy tenancies. _Ryo plows over to the closet and I follow close behind, dodging shoes boxes and…_is that a moldy sandwich? Gross._

The closet is small, but filled to the very top with carefully labeled boxes and drawers. _At least she keeps her closes organized._ Tapping a finger on his chin, Ryo spots the box marked swimsuits and pulls it out. It's packed tight with probably twenty or more suits and a few cover-ups. The one on top catches my eye and I pull it out.

"I'll leave you to try these on." Ryo says, "I can go get your towel and sunscreen ready." He leaves the room and closes the door. I change into the suit and look at myself in the mirror in her bathroom. It's a red one piece with bright white poka-dots, and has sort of a retro look to it. To my surprise, it fits me perfectly. I pick up a white dress cover-up and slip it on over. When I come out, Ryo has my beach bag all ready and packed.

"You look great!" He says, "But don't you want to take your hair down?"

"Hm?" My hand reaches to the back of my head and I feel the sloppy braid that I left in my hair all night. Removing the ponytail, I shake my hair out. Soft curls land around my face and I brush them away from my eyes.

"Oh, and no hanging out with boys." He warns me, "I won't allow it."

"Really?" My lips twist into a smile. _Maybe if I told him about the twins, he might not let me stay home._ "Well you should know then, that the friends who invited me are boys. And they are part of a host club that entertains girls everyday." He mouth twitches slightly.

"Host club? They're probably perverts." He whispers to himself. Just then, the doorbell rings and we both turn our heads.

"Well, that's them. I'm off to spend the day with a bunch of boys while I'm in a swimsuit." I say a little too innocently. Walking over to the door, I slip on my bright blue flip-flops.

"Wait!" Ryo calls before I open the door. "I'm going to have to have a talk with these _friends_ of yours." _Yes! It's all over for those two now._ He opens the door to find Hikaru and Kaoru standing outside. They are dressed in swim trunks, t-shirts, and baseball caps. They bow down instantly when they see Ryo.

"Good morning, sir." Kaoru says politely, "We have come here to pick up our dear friend Charlotte."

"We believe that she works ever too hard everyday at school, and deserves a refreshing day at the beach with us and a few of our friends." Hikaru adds. My mouth practically drops to the floor. _Since when are they so polite?_

Kaoru continues the speech. "We would also like to invite you along with us, sir, in thanks of having a wonderful sister such as Charlotte." Ryo stands there just as stunned as I am.

"Oh, that's alright." He manages to say "I don't have to go with. Charlie can manage without me, right?"

"What?" _He can't seriously be falling for that act. Damn those twins._ They each grab a hand and tow me towards the car, or should I say mini limo.

"We bless you for letting us spend the day with her!" They call and push me in the back seat as I struggle against them.

"Have fun Charlie!"

"We'll have her back before curfew! Have a nice day, sir!" They say through the open window, and the car pulls away.

"You two are unbelievable."

"We try." They say with grins.

"Where's everyone else?" I ask. The seats are completely empty besides the twins and me. _And why to they have to sit right next to me of there are so many other seats?_

"They went ahead in Kyoya's limo." Kaoru informs me, "They didn't want to wait for you." _Gee they're nice._

"How long is the car ride?"

"About an hour."

"Perfect." I say and lean my head back on the grey leather seat. "That means an hour to catch up on my sleep."

* * *

**Kaoru's POV**

Moments after Charlie's eyes close, her mouth opens in a small "o" shape, and she is fast asleep. I look to my twin and we both shrug.

"I guess we should let her sleep." I say quietly, so I don't wake her.

"Yeah."

The limo hits a bump in the road, causing all of us to jump in our seats. Charlie's sleeping body shifts, and slides down until it's resting on Hikaru's lap. His eyes widen to the size of baseballs and hints of red appear on his cheeks. Hikaru's expression gives off that he is completely embarrassed, and I snicker.

"K-Kaoru, what do I do?" He asks me frantically, biting his lip in question. _He's so clueless when it comes to this stuff._

"Don't wake her up. She'll only get mad." I tell him, "She's not hurting you is she?"

"N-no…but…" He looks down at her peaceful face then back at me. "This is just making me uncomfortable…." I raise my eyebrows at him and try to hold back a laugh. _He looks so helpless!_

"This isn't funny Kaoru!"

"Shh! Not so loud. If you really don't like it, you could just let her rest on _my_ lap." I tease him. Something sparks in his eye and he crosses his arms.

"No, no. I can handle it." He says, giving me attitude. "There's no need for you to do that." I smile at him, knowingly. _That's what I thought._

* * *

**Charlie's POV**

"Charlie…" A voice says softly, and I open my eyes slowly. My cheek is pressed against something with scratchy fabric, and I look up to see Hikaru staring down at me. _Wait…am I laying on…_ I jerk upright quickly with my face burning hot. The blood rushes from my head, causing me to go lightheaded for a moment. He clears his throat uncomfortably.

"Uh… We're here." He says and climbs out of the car.

"Ladies first." Kaoru gestures his hand towards the door and I step out. The sunlight is blinding when I first get out. I hold up a hand in front of my eyes to block the light, and the beach becomes clearer. The water is a beautiful turquois blue with sea foam forming on the white caps that brush against the sand. It's almost empty except for Haruhi sitting in the shade under an umbrella, and Honey and Mori making a sand castle with a few girls. I can barely make out Tamaki's blond hair on the other side of a few large sand dunes, and there's no doubt he's with Kyoya and the other guests.

"Hikaru! Kaoru!" The three girls that I've come to know as Rin, Hina, and Miki run over to us. They're the twins' regular guests at the host club.

"Where have you guys been?" Miki asks them. Today, she's taken out the purple ribbons that normally hold her hair and let it go free.

"Sorry we're late." Kaoru says.

"Charlie slept in for too long and she took forever to get ready!" Hikaru lies. The girls look disappointed at me, but I don't bother arguing about the false statement.

"But we're here now!"

"Come on then!" Miki giggles with a hint of falseness and grabs Hikaru's arm, towing him towards the water. The other two squeal and follow along.

"You coming?" Kaoru asks me.

"Nah, I think I'll go keep Haruhi company in the shade."

"Suit yourself." And he runs after his brother. Taking off my flip-flops, I walk across the burning white sand to where Haruhi is sitting. My feet are boiling by the time I get there.

"Hey." I say and plop down beside her in the shade.

"Oh hey Charlie. What are you doing here?"

"The twins brought me…actually it's more like they sweet-talked my brother and kidnaped me." She laughs at my comment. I start to get hot from where I sit, and I take off my cover up, exposing my skin to the heat waves. _They sure picked a good day to go to the beach._

"Why aren't you out with the twins?" She asks me. "You might as well go swimming if you've got a suit on." I can see them from where we are. They've gone out into the water, staying where it is about waste-deep. The twins are splashing the three squealing girls. Hikaru reaches over to his brother and dunks him under. He comes up spiting out water, yelling and chasing after Hikaru who has made a break for it.

"I'd rather not be half-naked in front of those two pervs." I smile, "And besides, you looked a little lonely since you can't go in the water."

"I'm alright." She shrugs.

* * *

Tamaki eventually makes his way over to us in the shade and invites Haruhi to go hunt for seashells with him and some guests. She let me borrow a book that she brought along so then I'm not board. I mean, I was asked to go along with, but I decided not to. All is well until a pair of feet walk up to where I'm laying, kicking some sand onto the blanket.

"Hey Charlie, what are you doing by yourself in the shade? You should be enjoying the sun and the water!" I close the book and look up to Hikaru's face. He smiles down at me with his hair-dripping wet from the water war he had with Kaoru moments ago. A volleyball is tucked under one arm, and his t-shirt is thrown over his shoulder. "We need another player for volleyball. You game?"

"No thanks." I say.

"Aw why not?"

"Cause I've never played, and I probably suck at it."

"Well, I'll teach you." He grabs my arm and pulls me up from the sand.

"Wait! But I burn really easily in the sun…" _Wow really? What kind of excuse is that?_

"Not a problem at all." He says and tosses me his shirt. Next he reaches down and picks his baseball cap off the ground, brushing it off. Hikaru places it on my head and smiles. "You can wear my shirt and hat to keep the sun off of you!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! I don't need it. Now come on, the others are waiting." I slip the shirt on over my swimsuit as we walk down the beach to the court. The soft fabric feels nice on my shoulders and keeps the heat of the sun at bay. Sure it's a little big on me, the bottom coming down past my butt, but what do you expect? I'm more concentrated on the smell that clings to its stitches. It's a fresh and clean sent with something else mixed in that I can't quit put my finger on. It just smells like…well _him_.

"You can be on my team." Hikaru tells me as we near the court. He tosses the ball under the net to Kaoru and Miki, our opponents.

"I hope you're ready!" Kaoru says and serves it high into the air. It turns out that Hikaru is very good at volleyball, and to my surprise, so am I. We both communicate well with eye contact, and can easily set each other up for spiking the ball down on the other team. The score went back and forth for who took the lead, and after my last spike, we tied the score up 24-24.

"Nice one!" Hikaru high fives me, "The last point wins."

"Why don't we make this a little interesting?" Kaoru suggests with a wicked grin. "The team who loses has to switch clothing with their partner for one whole day at school."

"Bring it on!" I say and Hikaru serves it over. Kaoru quickly receives it, sending it over to Miki. When he jumps up in the air, I know that he is about to spike it, and I run to the front of the court to keep it off the ground. I am just about to reach it when my foot twists underneath me, causing me to fall inches before the ball hits the ground and makes a dent in the sand.

"Yeah we won!" Kaoru cheers, "Have fun dressing in girl closes Hikaru!"

"You're going to pay for this Kaoru!" He runs over and tackles his brother in the sand.

"You guys are just too funny!" Miki says, a little too happily. _I don't know what it is, but that girl is annoying._

"Oh well." I say and brush the sand off my arms. I try to stand up, but a sharp pain shoots through my right ankle, and I crumple back down. "Ow ow ow ow ow!"

"Charlie are you ok?" Kaoru asks and Hikaru stops wrestling.

"It's my ankle." I bite my lip as another wave of pain washes over it. The skin around it burns and is starting to swell. "I think I might have twisted it."

"I'll go get some ice!" Kaoru rushes out of the court and scrambles up the sand dunes. Hikaru walks over and crouches down next to me.

"Do you think you could help me walk?" I ask him, wincing in pain, "I want to go sit in the shade."

"Nonsense." He says and slips his hands underneath me, picking me up bridal style. "You shouldn't walk on it if it hurts."

"I'm fine." I say, and then wince again.

"You're obviously not if your eyes are watery."

"I just got sand in my eye. That's all."

"Mhm. Sure you did." He teases. I lean my head against his warm chest and sigh.

"So much for a _refreshing_ day at the beach."

"You didn't have fun?" He asks with a little hurt in his voice.

"No it's not that." I reassure him, "I'm just not a big fan of injuring myself. But besides that, I had fun."

"Good!" He sends me a smile that sends butterflies down to my stomach.

* * *

**Author Note: Hey guys! I just wanted to say thanks for the reviews! It makes my day to read them. So I just got back to school from spring break, so my updates won't be as frequent. I hope you liked the long chapter, cause it was fun to write!**


	6. Sick Little Games

"Let's all play, the which one is Hikaru game!"

It's been a week since the incident at the beach in which I hurt my ankle. It swelled to about the size of an orange and burned like crazy until one of Kyoya's doctors came, giving me some painkillers. We found out that it was sprained, but not as bad as it seemed. I was given the instructions to stay off of it for a few weeks, and it would heal pretty quickly. So for the time being, I get to take it easy around the house and at work. Yakama actually let me have last Sunday off, which was very nice of her. She came over and made me some soup, telling me to get better and that she can manage the bakery until I'm allowed to walk on it again. Somehow, I even got the twins to help me carry my books when going from class to class, since I have to be on crutches 24/7. They both agreed to not dress me up in anything during the club hours either, and that I don't have to entertain them if my foot is bothering me.

"So. Can you ladies tell which one is Hikaru?"

"It's so hard to tell!"

"You two are exactly alike."

I'm basically being treated like one of their guests. The two always get me a chair next to wherever they're hosting, and another to prop my foot on, along with a pillow. They get me water or help me get my homework out of my backpack, which I'm perfectly capable of doing myself. It won't last forever, so I might as well enjoy it while I can. I just know they are cooking up something evil for me when I lose the crutches. Plus I already have to dress in Hikaru's clothes from when we lost the volleyball game.

"I think that the one on the left is Hikaru."

"Sorry! You got it wrong."

I sit by the window, watching the rain fall down onto the sidewalk below. A few students scurry about without umbrellas, running as fast as they can so they don't get wet. The grey clouds hang low in the sky, promising rain for the next couple of days. This gloominess is sort of making me depressed. I sigh and lean my head against the cold glass.

"Hey Charlie, can you guess which one of us is Hikaru?" The twins smile down at me, with green hats placed to hide their hair.

"What kind of game is that?" I ask them. "Hikaru is on the right."

"Nope! You got it wrong, commoner!" They say in unison and I raise one eyebrow at them.

"What do you mean? I got it right. Kaoru is on the left and Hikaru is on the right." I shrug my shoulders, "I don't see how that was suppose to be hard." They stare at me with stunned expressions, their mouths slightly open.

"How did you do that? Hikaru and Kaoru are exactly the same!" Hina, one of the girls, exclaims.

"Are you kidding me?" I laugh, "They couldn't be anymore different! Sure they may share lots of similarities, and their physical appearance _appears_ to be the same, those twins are perfectly two separate people. I can easily tell them apart at a glance." It's silent around us and they all stare at me. My face starts to go red and I look down at my hands, sheepishly. In a moment, I hear the twins mumble something to the girls, then start up their normal conversations.

"So you can tell them apart, can you?" I look up, startled to see Tamaki standing beside my chair, gazing over at the twins.

"Can't you?"

"No, I'm afraid I cannot." He looks down at me with a warm smile, "Not very many people can. I believe you and Haruhi are the only ones."

"Really?"

"Those girls have been their guests for the whole year, and yet they can't tell them apart. But then you come along and can tell right away."

"Well not right away. It took a little time for me." I glance over to Hikaru and Kaoru for a moment. Their hair is still covered by those silly green hats, and they grin at their fawning guests. "Hey Tamaki?"

"Hm?"

"Why do they play that game if no know can tell them apart? What's the fun in that?"

"I'm not sure why they do." He says in thought, "It may be so that they can find someone who _can_ see who is who. But you know, it used to be twisted into a sick little game. They weren't the nicest people in middle school, always breaking some new girl's heart almost every week. But you've seemed to be playing the game quite well actually. You might stand a chance." I look up at him confused.

"Oh would you look at the time!" He steps away from me and faces the rest of the club. "Thank you all for joining us today, and we hope to see all of your beautiful faces tomorrow, my princesses." He announces and strolls off to where Haruhi is standing.

I bend down and grab my backpack off the floor, zipping it up. Using my good foot, I push the chair away and carefully lower my leg, until my ankle touches the floor. Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I grasp the cold crutches and try to stand.

"Hold on a minute." Kaoru says, sitting me back down. "We have a question for you."

"I can't stay for long." I inform them, "My brother is probably already waiting for me outside. So what is it?" I look back and forth between their faces, which are hard to read.

"Tell us something Charlie." Kaoru says in a serious tone.

"How could you tell us apart?" Hikaru asks softly with curious eyes.

"What do you mean how?"

"We want to know. What makes us different to you?"

"Well everything." I say, and they stare down at me, confused.

"But we're exactly alike." They say together.

"No," I shake my head, "You both have many differences in personality and appearance. And technically you two can't be perfectly identical, because no two people have the same thumb print." The twins look down at their hands simultaneously in wonder. Then their eyes travel to meet each other's and they smile slightly.

"Why do you guys even play that game if no one wins?"

"Just for fun." Kaoru shrugs.

"Yeah, kinda like how you're our toy. It's a fun game!" Hikaru adds. _Oh. I get it now._ Kaoru must have seen my somewhat hurt expression, because he nudges his brother slightly and gives him a look.

"Everyone!" Tamaki's voice echoes through the room, "Remember that next week we will be planning our Ouran All-Night party!"

"_All night_ party?" Mischief sparks in the twins' eyes and they stalk over to Tamaki.

"We'll see you later Charlie!" They call and I watch them walk away, arm in arm. _At least I know what he meant now. It's just a sick little game to them, in which I'm one of the players._

* * *

**Sorry for such the late update. School hasn't been very kind to me :P I hope you liked the chapter, even though it was a little on the short side. Sorry for any of the grammar or spelling mistakes, I really wanted to get this one done!**


	7. Expanding Horizons

Hikaru and Kaoru's maid showed up at my house bright and early in the morning a few weeks later, delivering a specially made to wear for my punishment for losing the volleyball game. My cast has finally been removed from my ankle, and that meant the "special" treatment I was receiving from the twins has come to an end. Today is the first day I get to actually walk again, and I'm stuck having to look like an idiot in a boy's uniform. Not that Haruhi looks bad in it or anything, even if she _is_ posing as a boy. I still don't get how the guests can't see that she's a girl. Rich people really _are_ dense.

The long white box lays on top of my messy bed sheets, mocking me slightly. _It could be worse, I guess. Kaoru could have chosen something much more embarrassing. And it's not like tons of people pay attention to me anyway._ I walk over to it and flip open the lid, shedding light to the contents inside. On top, there lays a crisp blue blazer with the tie folded next to it. Underneath that are the pants and white collared shirt. I sigh and change into it quickly, avoiding all mirrors in my room. After messing around with the tie a bit, I grunt in frustration. _I was hoping that Ryo wouldn't have to see me in this…but I don't want the Hitachiin brothers to think I don't even know how to tie a tie…_

Opening the door, I walk out into the kitchen to where Ryo is reading the newspaper as he does every morning. He takes a sip of the coffee next to him before looking up at me.

"What are you wearing?" He asks with wide eyes.

"It's a punishment for losing a game."

"What kind of punishment is that?"

"A stupid one." I say and roll my eyes, "Can you help me with the tie?" He nods and I walk over.

"Jeez, you hang around boys all day and you don't know how to tie this?" He mumbles as he fixes the mangled tie. "There, now let's get going or you're going to be late."

* * *

As Ryo said, I am almost late to homeroom and stumble in just before the bell, causing almost everyone to stare at me. Heat rises to my face and I walk over to my seat in the far corner, not bothering to look at anyone. I sit down and throw my bag on the floor.

"Hey Charlie." A voice next to me makes me jump, and I look up to see Hikaru sitting next to me. But instead of his normal fancy uniform, he's wearing a baggy sweater with jeans, and converse. He did a pretty good job dressing like me.

"Is that all designer?" I motion to his clothes.

"I'm afraid not." He sighs, "Kaoru told me that I had to wear _real_ commoner's clothes."

"So does that mean that this is rich people fabric?" I ask, tugging on the pants.

"Yeah it is. So don't throw up again, got it?" He throws at me, harshly.

"Whoa, what's with the sour mood this morning?" I tease, "Are you mad because you aren't stylish today?"

"Not even close. If you haven't noticed, Kaoru isn't here."

"Where is he then?" I ask, looking around the room. _Wow, I actually didn't realize he was gone until Hikaru mentioned it._

"Kaoru's home sick today." He gives a small sigh, "So it's just me. Too bad though. He really wanted to see you in the boy uniform."

"Well I'm off of my crutches, so you two can just dress me up in one another time." I say. He shrugs at me then looks away, his face showing signs of boredom. _Since when is he so cold?_

Homeroom continued as it normally would, with Hikaru being unusually quiet. His knee bounced up and down nervously, and I glance over to his face. Eyes darting all over the room, he gives off a somewhat panicked look.

"Hey are you ok?" I touch his arm slightly and he jumps.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Hikaru says quickly, "Never better."

"Funny, you don't _look_ fine." I point out. "Are you sure you're ok?"

"I said I'm fine!" He snaps and I scoot my chair away slightly in shock.

"Jeez, no need to be so rude." The bell for passing time sounds through the classroom and his head snaps up to face the door. Getting out of his chair, he grabs my arm and pulls me along with him out into the hallway. I stumble behind him as he quickly navigates to through the busy school.

"Hey! Slow down! We don't need to get to class_ that_ fast!" I tell him and the grip on my arm tightens. He turns to face me and gives a somewhat sheepish smile.

"Sorry. It's just that me and Kaoru always arrive early." He slows down as he explains. "And I just thought that you would want to come with me." _Wow, just drag me along without asking huh? Wait a minute…_

"Are you acting this way because Kaoru isn't here?" I ask him.

"What do you mean acting?! I'm perfectly fine." He replies a little too forcefully. I raise an eyebrow at him and cross my arms.

"Sorry, but you're not fooling me."

"Fine." He sighs, "Maybe I'm a little anxious. I'm just never without Kaoru for this long."

"A _little_ anxious?" I laugh and take his arm. "Hey, it's ok. I'll help you through the day." His cheeks turn pink and he looks away, slightly embarrassed. For a moment, my face heats up too, but we arrive at the chemistry classroom just before the tardy bell rings. We slide into two of the empty seats in the back and pull out last night's homework. I sigh, looking over my chicken scratch that's scrawled across the lined paper.

"Alright everyone. Please switch your papers with someone else to grade." The teacher tells us. Hikaru instantly swaps mine for his and begins to mark it with a bright red pen as soon as the answers appear on the board. My eyes scan his work, carefully looking for mistakes to nail him, but to my great surprise, I don't find any.

"Amazing." I mumble out loud.

"What's amazing?" He asks me, still slashing up my paper violently.

"We just learned all this new material yesterday and you can master it all in one night."

"I don't see what's so hard about that." He shrugs.

"You should totally be in the advanced class next semester."

"Nah."

"Oh come on," I say, poking him playfully in the arm, "You're smart enough to be."

"I just don't want to."

"Why not?"

"Because Kaoru isn't good at Chemistry."

"This isn't about Kaoru." I say, "This is about _you_." He sighs and shakes his head.

"But I've never done anything without him. It's hard enough that he's not here at school today."

"Well then maybe it's time to start branching out. You two can't be with each other _forever._"

"I don't like to think about that." He mumbles, looking away. I huff at him and cross my arms.

"Get it through your head Hikaru. You need to start thinking for yourself. And if you're worried about being alone, I could take the class with you." I suggest.

"Pft. I don't think so." He says and hands me back my homework. Almost every problem had some sort of error that he had fun pointing out. "I don't think you're ready for an AP chem class if you couldn't even get_ one_ problem right."

"Oh shut up."

* * *

I glance over to the clock on my nightstand to read the numbers 11:48. Groaning, I slam my math book shut and rest my head on the desk. _I think that's enough homework for tonight._ I'm just about to drift off when my phone rings loudly from the floor. My eyes snap open and I swipe it from the ground. _Who the hell would be calling me at this hour?_

"Hello?"

"Hey Charlie, its Kaoru." A scratchy voice says.

"Whoa, you sound awful." He chuckles softly, then gives a few coughs.

"Yeah I know. I'll probably be out for a few more days." _Oh no. A few more days of anxious Hikaru? I don't think I can take that._ "Sorry about calling you so late, but I wanted to say thank you."

"For what?"

"Well when Hikaru came home from school today, he told me that he wanted to take a different Chemistry class with you next semester. I think that's it's great that he wants to expand a little bit, and I know that you were the one to talk him into it. So thank you. It's good for Hikaru and I to make friends and try new things on our own."

"Oh…you're welcome, Kaoru." I say, and he starts coughing again. "Hey, get some rest ok?"

"I will." He replies weakly.

"See you later."

"Bye." I click the off button and smile. A warm feeling bubbles inside of my stomach as I lay down on my soft mattress. It feels good to have helped someone, to help a friend.

* * *

**Author Note: I'm very sorry for the late update, and no, I haven't stopped writing this story! I have up to chapter 19 planned out on paper, and all I have to do it type them. But I have lots of school work and family issues to deal with, so you will have to bare with me on my slow updates. Summer vacation is coming up soon for me, so I will be able to have more time to write. Thanks for all of the reviews! :)  
**


	8. Worked to the Bone

The bell on the door chimes as a new customer walks in. He pauses for a moment, inhaling the scent of freshly made bread before making his way over to the glass counter to order. It's been a fairly busy day at the bakery. I'm already tired of kneading dough and it's only been a few hours after opening, so that means I have at least 5 more to go. Yakama steps away from the front counter and walks into the back where I currently am.

"I have to run to the bathroom for a moment. Can you get the new customers for me?"

"Sure!" I say with a smile and continue to scoop a heap of batter onto the table, kneading it lightly. _I really hope no one else comes in. I don't feel like dealing with people today._ Just then, the door chimps open again. _Damn it._ I wipe my dough-filled hands on a wet cloth and proceed to walk up to the counter.

"What are we doing here? This place is much too _common_ for my taste."

"Stop complaining. I heard their bread is really good." Voices drift from the front as I turn the corner. My stomach drops when I meet the eyes of my new customers who are leaning against the counter, one looking particularly bored. They are just as surprised as I am and their eyes widen, mirroring mine. _Kill me._

"Charlie?" They straighten up, leaving smudges on the glass that I will surely have to wipe off later.

"Hey Kaoru." I grumble.

"You work _here_?" Hikaru asks me with a slightly disgusted expression. Kaoru shoots him a look before turning back to me.

"Why didn't you come to the Ouran Lock-In last night? It was tons of fun!" Kaoru asks with a smile.

"I just didn't want to be tired for work today." I say, looking down at my feet. _That couldn't have been any more false. The real reason is because I didn't want to be stuck sleeping near them, which I knew would happen if I went._

"So you blew off a night of fun to work? That's stupid." Hikaru says.

"Yeah, well not everyone is just _handed_ everything they want." I point out, "Some people actually have to work for it."

"Good point." Kaoru cuts in and walks behind the counter to where I am. "I've always wanted to learn how to bake. Will you teach me?" Before I can answer, he glides to the back and finds the dough I was working on earlier. I roll my eyes and follow him, observing as he tries to knead it. A small giggle escapes my lips.

"You're doing that wrong." I tell him, placing my hand over one of his. "You need to use more with the heel of your hand." I push down on Kaoru hand to show him.

"Oh…" He looks at me and smiles sweetly. "Thanks Charlie. Hey Hikaru, you should come try this!"

"I'd rather not get my hands dirty, thanks." He says.

"What's with the attitude Hikaru?" Kaoru teases, "Jealous of Charlie helping me?" His eyes widen as a hint of pink flushes across his cheeks.

"No, why would I be jealous?" He asks crossing his arms.

"Cause she likes me the best."

"I never said that!" I cut in.

"Oh so you like Hikaru the best?" He cocks an eyebrow with interest.

"What? No, that's not what I meant…"

"But surely you like _one _of us more, right?" Hikaru says with interest now, walking over to where his brother stands and leaning an elbow on him.

"So which is it?" They lean in close to me, so that their faces are inches from mine.

"Ok, guys I'm not doing this." I tell them and push their faces away. "I'm not choosing between you two."

"Aw why not?" They whine.

"Because I don't want to end up hurting one of you."

"So that means you _do_ have a favorite." Kaoru replies with a wicked smile.

I open my mouth to deny him once again, when the door to the bathroom swings open, revealing Yakama. She looks at the twins for a moment and then down to me.

"Who are these young men, Charlie?"

"Please allow us to introduce ourselves." They say with a bow. _Oh no. It's like what happened with Ryo all over again._

"My name is Hikaru, and this is my brother Kaoru."

"We are very good friends with Charlie, and were hoping to help out around your shop today. You see, we have never had a job before…" Kaoru begins.

"…And we would like to gain some experience." Hikaru finishes.

"Oh, what charming boys!" Yakama claps her hands together. _And I've lost her to the dark side._ "Of course you can help out!" They glance at each other with victorious smiles and then over to me. _Can I never get a break from these two?_

"Charlie, you can be in charge of them." Yakama instructs me, walking to the front counter where a customer just walked in.

"So where do we start boss?" The twins turn to me and I smile spreads across my face.

"I'm your boss, huh?" I say and walk over to a coat rack, picking out two frilly aprons. "Get ready to be worked to the bone."

* * *

"Ow! Damn it, not again!" Kaoru and I laugh from the sink as Hikaru burns his fingers for probably the 100th time today. He drops the pan back in the oven and throws the towel on the floor. "How could anyone do this without getting burned?" He whines.

"It takes some practice." I say, wiping my hands off and gliding over to the frustrated twin. In one swift move, I pluck the pan from the oven and slide it over to the cooling rack. "And skill, which you clearly don't have." I tease.

"Oh shut up." He pouts with unmistakable blush on his cheeks.

"Why did you guys offer to work if you're both terrible at it?" I ask.

"Hey, I believe that I am a dish-washing champion." Kaoru brags from the sink as he washes. Just then, a plate slips through his fingers from the soapy water and crashes to the floor, breaking into pieces.

"Yeah, you're a real winner." I snort and grab the broom from the closet. "Start sweeping champion. And you never answered my question."

"We decided to make it a contest." Kaoru replies, picking up the larger pieces of glass.

"How so?"

"To see who your favorite was." Hikaru answers with a shrug.

"Well who's winning?" I ask.

"We can't tell you that." They reply and I cross my arms with a frown.

"Why not?"

"That would defeat the whole purpose!" Hikaru says, walking over to the counter to start making new bread.

"You're supposed to be able to choose subconsciously." Kaoru explains. He picks up the last couple pieces and throws them in the trash, then starts to sweep.

"You guys are weird." I mumble and walk over to where the flour sacks are stored.

* * *

**Kaoru POV**

_Well it's certainly clear to me who she likes best._ I keep my eyes trained on the floor as I brush the small shards of glass into the dusk pan. There is a sound of someone losing their footing, and a loud thump.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Hahaha! Look at your clothes!"

"Yeah, they're ruined, no thanks to you!"

"It will wash out, you baby."

"Here! See how you like it!" I glance up from the ground to see Hikaru and Charlie in a full-on flour fight. Hikaru is covered head to toe in the white powder, while Charlie has a spot here and there from where he's hit her. They laugh and dodge each other's throws, making the air thick with the white dust. I smile slightly from where I stand in the corner by the double sink. _It's definitely Hikaru._ My hand grabs the sink hose and I aim it at them.

"Alright! Play times over!" I yell and proceed to spray them both with my new weapon.

* * *

**Hey! School is finally over for me and it summer! Yay! So that means I will be able to update more often! This chapter is a little short, but the next one should be pretty good! I'm thinking on making at least 15 chapters, so no romance yet guys :)  
Thanks for reading!  
**


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